Another side of the stabbing incident

Editor’s note: On Aug. 30, the Town Crier reported that Darryl Scholl had been stabbed multiple times on the night of Aug. 21. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department had arrested and charged Jeremy Greene, 23, of Oceanside, for the attack two days later.

Since that story appeared, several people have stepped forward with additional information regarding the incident. They say that Greene was defending himself during a physical attack from Scholl and another person.

At this time, the Sheriff’s Department has not confirmed this version of the story, but some court records are available.

In March 2018, (from left) David Brown, Brandi Iniquez, Alicia Barry and Stuart Eberhardt planned to open a new restaurant in Idyllwild named Golden Nugget Bar & Grill. file photo

“My name is Alicia Barry and this is my true statement. I feel my life has been in danger for the past month.” This is what she told a court and wants to share with the community. Greene was defending her, she stated, and stabbed Darryl “DJ” Scholl in self-defense; then Greene was the victim of a hit-and-run attempt on his life.

On the night that he was stabbed, Scholl was inebriated and already walking around the property where the incident occurred, according to Barry and friend Jeff Major. Barry, whose husband Stuart Eberhardt recently died from cancer, was at the cannabis “dispensary,” between the tattoo shop and Village Market, and already in fear of her life, she stated.

Yet she says she felt sorry for Scholl. He fell in with the wrong group and used poor judgment, she said. Nevertheless, she believes he was present to scare, if not harm, her. She states that days before, she had asked Greene, her cousin, to come to Idyllwild and provide her protection from several former employees and business associates.

This is the reason Greene had a knife and why he defended himself with it during the fight, Barry said with tears.

But the altercation and fear started nearly a month earlier, she continued. On July 25, the day the Cranston Fire started, Eberhardt was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and he never returned to Idyllwild.

Scholl’s family offered him hospice care. Scholl had worked for Eberhardt and Barry as well as a sister, Brandi Iniguez.

Eberhardt and Barry had moved to Idyllwild more than a year ago and have actively worked with Riverside County officials to legalize the cannabis business in the county.

In July, the county Planning Commission recommended a draft ordinance which would make all aspects of the cannabis industry — cultivation, manufacturing, distribution and retail — legal in the county.

According to Barry, the potential value of her future business is the reason she is being threatened.

As part of this effort to intimidate her, she said, on July 29, a former associate Adrian DeNava stopped her, pulled her from her car, took her purse and told her to leave the Hill. She states that several other threats followed this one. She did file a report with the Sheriff’s Department, which has been confirmed.

While she did not immediately report it to the sheriff, she says, this is the reason she sought protection. She originally asked Dennis Simmerman to help, she added.

Two days before the knifing, he was threatened and told to leave the Hill, and he heeded the warning, Barry said. She next reached out to her cousin, Greene.

On Tuesday night, Aug. 21, DeNava “was hinting and warning that we were in jeopardy and a situation would be going down,” she wrote in her declaration to the court, expressing her fear.

Barry described and wrote about that evening as follows: Scholl appeared at the property. First, he encountered Jon DiPompo, another friend of Barry’s, who was working on a truck parked near Highway 243. DiPompo, in a written statement, wrote that Scholl told him “that there was going to be s[—] going down. That they will pay … Get my s[—] and move on before I get hurt.” DiPompo warned Barry, “There’s a guy out here starting trouble.”

Scholl next visited Major, who has an apartment above the driveway and business, on the back of Arriba’s. After a while, Scholl returned to the driveway, Major said.

Apparently, Greene encountered Scholl at the bottom of the steps, and DiPompo saw the fight begin. Barry wrote, “I turn around and see the commotion. Jeremy was attacked by Darryl.”

Meanwhile, Major said he saw David Brown, another former business associate with Barry and Eberhardt. Brown had been working at the dispensary site and spoken at Planning Commission hearings.

When Major approached Brown to offer salutations, Brown said, “Wait, I want to see what goes down!” according to Major.

Then he saw Scholl and Greene scuffling below. Then DiPompo joined the fight intending to help Greene; but, according to Barry and DiPompo, DeNava punched and choked him. “Now there is a ball of four men. Then they start to separate and go in different directions,” Barry said.

None interviewed say they saw the actually stabbing, but shortly, Scholl was staggering, and Greene ran up the stairs past Major, circling the parking lot of Arriba’s, Major said.

Major saw Brown rush to his pickup where DeNava joined him. They drove up Pine Crest Drive after Greene, who was on foot. According to Barry, they drove into him, wrecking a wooden fence, then left him on the ground in pain.

Meanwhile, Major called 911 for help.

On Fridany, Aug. 24, Barry went to the Hemet Superior Court and obtained a restraining order against DeNava to protect her and Greene. The next day, Greene was taken into custody.

After the Town Crier story, based on the press release from the Sheriff’s Department, Barry contacted the paper to share what she says is “the other side of the story.”

Scholl has been released from the hospital and is recovering. He did not want to make a statement to the paper. But his sister, Brandi, claims he heard Barry during the altercation scream to Greene, “Get that guy!”

The Sheriff’s Department is still investigating the incident. Greene has a court hearing scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 6. Barry has said she will attend and try to help her cousin.

1 COMMENT

Running gun battles, stabbings, robbery this is what’s expected from a pot shop put up by a felon. I guess we should be grateful that no guns were used this time with bullets flying through our windows. Idyllwild handle your pig pen like so many other messes. Keep your pig pen out of pine cove. It’s not hard really. Pass a special district ordinance regulating potential fire and safety hazards generated by this conduct.That won’t happen because your leaders are cowards looking for self validating votes. Outrageous!